The best and worst holiday jobs

Shutterstock.comEach year, people hoping to boost their gift-giving budgets throw themselves into the part-time holiday-employment pool. But there’s a fine line between Santa’s workshop and his sweatshop. Would-be St. Nicks will be “ho-ho-hoing” all the way to the bank this winter. Santas can earn more than $100 an hour, making this gig one of the best holiday-season jobs, according to a new report from jobs site CareerCast.com. However, as the holidays end, so too does employment for Santas at malls and toy stores. Even while demand is hot, being a Santa isn’t all sugar plums: Santas must wear a smile beneath a scratchy fake beard as they endure hordes of squirming kids demanding the latest pricey gadgets.

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Best: Santa Claus

Shutterstock.comWorking in Santa’s admittedly jolly shadow isn’t as glamorous as it may sound. In fact, being an elf is one of the worst seasonal jobs, by CareerCast.com’s estimation. Elves not only face stiff competition for their jobs but also earn minimum wage. And it turns out, being an elf — “directing sometimes frightened children and exhausted parents through the crowds,” as CareerCast.com reports — isn’t all giggles and candy canes.

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Worst: Santa’s elf

Shutterstock.com‘Tis the season to indulge your sweet tooth, much to the delight of candymakers across the nation, who will turn out more than 1.8 billion candy canes and more than 150 million chocolate Santas, according to the National Confectioners Association. Indeed, the winter holidays beat out all other seasons for sales of boxed chocolates.

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Best: Candymaker

Shutterstock.comWhile a glowing Christmas tree is a delight, hauling one up onto the roof of a car is hard work that frequently comes with low pay and exposure to the elements, according to CareerCast.com. “This might be problematic if they don’t use correct body mechanics,” says Karen Jacobs, an occupational therapist and professor at Boston University’s Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. “Many of the trees are pretty heavy.”

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Worst: Christmas tree lot attendant

Shutterstock.comThere will be about 600,000 new jobs at retail outlets this holiday season, recent forecasts say. While many of these jobs come with low wages, there’s a chance that some workers will turn these holiday spots into permanent positions. Some of those jobs might even last beyond Christmas, says Harry Holzer, an economist and public-policy professor at Georgetown University. “And even if they don’t,” he says, “people will gain useful work experience.” The holiday-hiring surge typically peaks in November, but Hurricane Sandy may have put a damper on growth this season, a recent report from consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas suggests. The National Retail Federation, meanwhile, projects that holiday sales will rise 4.1% this year.

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Best: Retail salesperson

Trying to help harried travelers navigate the long lines at airports, particularly if there are weather problems and delays, can be stressful. Add in low pay, odd hours and poor chances for longer-term employment and you’ve got one of CareerCast.com’s worst jobs of the season.

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Worst: Airport helper

Parcel deliverers get a boost during the holiday season as companies rush to make sure loved ones receive their holiday presents on time. Last winter, the couriers-and messengers industry added almost 100,000 jobs, according to government data. FedEx alone recently said it plans to add about 20,000 seasonal personnel for holiday shipments, and the company is forecasting that Dec. 10 will be its busiest-on-record day, with about 19 million shipments. Behind the strong growth are online sales, which are forecast to increase 12% this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation’s digital division.

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Best: Parcel deliverer

Harried travelers don’t just make life difficult at airports. They also clog up the roads, creating additional obstacles for taxi drivers, some of whom are already under considerable strain. As the occupational therapist Jacobs puts it: “People are trying to get to places faster, maybe driving in heavy traffic, trying to avoid road rage.”

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Worst: Taxi driver

Shutterstock.comMore than 45% of the part-time positions available this season will be in food service, CareerCast.com reports, as diners revel in the holidays by making someone else cook dinner. While the pay and benefits in food service aren’t great, workers gain experience and there is a chance for longer-term employment.

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Best: Food server

Shutterstock.comThere’s a limited window of high demand, and snow removers face tough work conditions. Just using a shovel to lift heavy snow is difficult on its own. Add on time pressures for removing the snow and the cold weather, and “that can all can be problematic,” Jacobs says. (See MarketWatch video on best and worst jobs)

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